3 Marketing Lessons Small Business Owners Can Learn from Amazon Storefronts

The program showcases U.S.-based brands from all 50 states, with product listings including electronics, pet supplies, beauty and grooming supplies. Featured merchants get a visibility boost, but even if you’re not registered for Storefronts, there are some key marketing takeaways you can apply to your e-commerce efforts.

1. Utilize Video Storytelling

Each week, Amazon names one seller as its Storefront of the Week. The chosen brand gets its own personal highlight reel, in the form of a video clip introducing the business owner and their products, and relaying a little of their personal business journey.

It’s short and simple, yet video can be a powerful way to convey your business’s message. Video is expected to account for 82 percent of global web traffic by 2022, with live streaming representing 17 percent of that traffic.

Using video to tell stories — either yours or your customers as they use your products — can give your business an edge over other retailers that have yet to tap into this medium. Incorporating video on your e-commerce site, social media channels or in email marketing campaigns is a fresh way to represent your brand and connect with your audience.

2. Create Curated Product Collections

How you organize your e-commerce store can make a difference when it comes to what sells or what doesn’t. A strategy Amazon uses with Storefronts is offering curated collections of unusual or innovative products. These are items that shoppers won’t necessarily find in-store at a big box retailer.

You can take the same approach with your own website, even if you don’t exclusively sell handmade or one-of-a-kind products. Reorganizing your site to create product collections with a common theme or use allows you to subtly direct visitors’ attention where you want it to go.

For example, if you sell women’s clothing, you might create curated collections by season or occasion. Having curated collections can make it easier for shoppers to navigate your site, while giving them a streamlined buying experience.

3. Sell Your Brand’s Distinct Value

The overarching theme of Amazon Storefronts is an emphasis on the unique. Amazon designed the platform to recognize artisans, family-focused businesses, women in business and retail innovator-makers.

Think about what separates your business from the competitors in your space. What makes your brand, products and services special or different from everyone else?

For instance, you may have an exclusive product or the process you use to produce it is one you’ve personally developed. Your business may have been inspired by a personal challenge or struggle.  Or you may use your business as a platform to give back to your community in impactful ways.

Drill down to what makes your business truly valuable in your respective niche. Once you’ve identified what that is, consider how you can leverage it to attract customers and grow your online business.